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Apr 29th, 2024
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Joined: Mar 2015
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Sidelock
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'Shooting paper patched bullets means that whatever I bring with me is all that I will be able to get. It'll be my one and only checked bag'
BEWARE: Ammo and ammo components can not be packed in the same case as the firearm so you will need a minimum of two bags. You might get away with it but very likely you will have them confiscated if you can not pack them in a separate locked bag. Also the ammo must be in 'original packaging' - check the regs, they are quite tightly defined.
Re locks: 'TSA' locks are NOT okay for locking cases with firearms, an admission that the keys are all out there! TSA officers often tell one to get TSA locks, unaware that the rules do not permit their use.
Non-TSA locks may well be cut off by TSA (or UK security) when they inspect the contents of your case unless you can stay in close proximity of the case to hand over (and recover) the keys. This is usually required procedure going from USA to UK but often not possible going UK to USA.
If the lock is cut off, technically the gun can not then travel as all airlines have a condition that any case containing a firearm MUST be hard sided and locked.
I always travel to and from the USA with spare locks and spare keys, all of which are totally expendable. One of the joys of travelling with guns!
Lastly, I must stress that the UK have VERY prescriptive rules on what ammunition and caliber of rifle can be used to shoot deer and these vary between England/Wales and Scotland. Generally these rules are carefully observed as any offence against them could bring serious legal repercussions for the hunter AND be a serious home-goal for the hunting community in general. The last thing we need in the UK is to give ammo to the antis.
Your much loved rifle may be perfectly capable of killing deer but completely illegal to use over here. If it uses paper-patched bullets, I doubt it will make the necessary ft/s while the ft/lb may be awesome!
Enjoy your trip!
Toby, that is excellent advice, thank you. Much of it I have squared away already, but you bring up a couple of things that I should keep in mind.
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Thank you, Wonko. Those are hellacious looking cases, but for long distance travel I am wedded to plastic.
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I have always used Pelican cases for delicate dart guns in Africa. Thousands of miles bashing around in the back of the pickup, terrible to nonexistent roads, people sitting on it or dropping heavy spare tires on it, stuffed under bleeding carcasses (bait), etc. etc.. Africa is tough on gear, but I have never had any damage, nor dust or moisture get into the case. They make a shorter one for a broken down rifle or shotgun, as well as a long one with wheels for full size rifles. Downside is that they are heavy.
When travelling with a rifle in a full length aluminum case, I put that in a snowboard travel bag, which disguises it well.
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OH, as you know, the NW coast of Scotland is really rugged. Those slopes covered in broken boulders, hummocks, etc. Reading the family's game logs, year after year, is really educational, because they lost a lot of big stags to cliff falls. I guess I am going to see how it all turns out. Being a romantic has its cost. I assume that means a accidental death of the beast  but second stag I took went off a cliff- The ghillie had doubted I could get a shot at him with several hinds offering extra eyes- I studied the hill and found a route that mostly kept a large rock between us- when i go to the rock I rolled to one side and fell into a prone position with a 75 yard broadside side shot which i quickly took- when i pulled the gun down from the recoil - there was no sight of him, the ghillie took the rifle and went left to a copse of small trees expecting a wounded stag to have gone down hill to cover. I went right to see if he went over the hill, we met back at the middle neither of us finding any trail. I shook my head and said i could not believe i could have missed that shot. As we talked the ghille walked around looking for blood and then laughed and called me over to look over the edge, there the stag was, 50 feet below. I guess he was right on the edge and the shot had pushed him sideways fortunately, the shot was on the spot and he landed dead in soft bog and damage was limited that stalk left me with a great memory
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Sidelock
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OH, as you know, the NW coast of Scotland is really rugged. Those slopes covered in broken boulders, hummocks, etc. Reading the family's game logs, year after year, is really educational, because they lost a lot of big stags to cliff falls. I guess I am going to see how it all turns out. Being a romantic has its cost. I assume that means a accidental death of the beast but second stag I took went off a cliff- The ghillie had doubted I could get a shot at him with several hinds offering extra eyes- I studied the hill and found a route that mostly kept a large rock between us- when i go to the rock I rolled to one side and fell into a prone position with a 75 yard broadside side shot which i quickly took- when i pulled the gun down from the recoil - there was no sight of him, the ghillie took the rifle and went left to a copse of small trees expecting a wounded stag to have gone down hill to cover. I went right to see if he went over the hill, we met back at the middle neither of us finding any trail. I shook my head and said i could not believe i could have missed that shot. As we talked the ghille walked around looking for blood and then laughed and called me over to look over the edge, there the stag was, 50 feet below. I guess he was right on the edge and the shot had pushed him sideways fortunately, the shot was on the spot and he landed dead in soft bog and damage was limited that stalk left me with a great memory Great story, OH! From the old estate books I read, the death-by-cliff occurred after the shot. Seems the deer were really hugging the steep areas, and the hunters went after them. "Smashed" is a word that reappears over and over, year after year, with some famous hunters, too.
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I have always used Pelican cases for delicate dart guns in Africa. Thousands of miles bashing around in the back of the pickup, terrible to nonexistent roads, people sitting on it or dropping heavy spare tires on it, stuffed under bleeding carcasses (bait), etc. etc.. Africa is tough on gear, but I have never had any damage, nor dust or moisture get into the case. They make a shorter one for a broken down rifle or shotgun, as well as a long one with wheels for full size rifles. Downside is that they are heavy.
When travelling with a rifle in a full length aluminum case, I put that in a snowboard travel bag, which disguises it well. Thank you, LGF. This helps. The up side is that I have an old and very rugged Pelican case, apparently more rugged than what is produced today. The downside is that it lacks wheels and is very heavy. So I am thinking about what is next. Heavy plastic is definitely first choice.
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Personally I can't imagine any instance where I would rather have a plastic case of any kind over the aluminum ones I use.
I mean -- plastic? Metal? there's a choice?
A friend used one of the Ziegel cases at my recommendation to ship his 458 Lott to safari. The rifle went scope mounted from N.Cal to S.Africa and return and was undamaged and never lost it's zero.
there was no option with the bolt rifle but transporting a gun assembled when it is a breakdown makes absolutely no sense to me at all. Do you really think that a properly fitted breakdown case is somehow inferior?
Last edited by Wonko the Sane; 08/16/17 12:04 PM.
Dr.WtS
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Dr. W. - I have no attachment to plastic or Pelican but those cases are bomb proof. I use smaller ones for laptops which get the same abuse, and have not had a problem. However, mine are old so I cannot speak for more recent ones if they are lighter, as pamtnman suggests.
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Personally I can't imagine any instance where I would rather have a plastic case of any kind over the aluminum ones I use....
....Do you really think that a properly fitted breakdown case is somehow inferior? Pure opinion here Dr. I believe you when you say your experiences are bullet proof cases. What I have seen for myself is that aluminum cases are more complicated with mechanical parts like hinges, latches, handle attachments, etc. that can all fail to some degree or another. Possibly, not outright failure, but aluminum definitely can distort to some degree of failure or marginal usability. I've seen many situations where some type of strapping had to be cobbled up for peace of mind that a case would stay closed. To me, the fitted gun case is nice, but air travel means gear compromises. The gun is important, but that can be thought of all the other odds and ends someone decides to take along. To me single duty items don't always justify the extra effort they take to lug around and shoehorn into smaller rental vehicles than one might have had back home. And, coming home, things don't always pack back up as neatly and nicely. I do understand that air travel can mean many different things, but weight, size and number of items usually come into play. If someone's setup with a high end concierge hunt, then no worries. I do know that a rental Suburban with three guys and their gear kind of looks like the beverly hillbillies rolled into town, but of course, even when I reserve a suburban the gal behind the counter still tries to pull the explorer is in the same category song and dance because all the suburbans are still out. edit to add, the cases in your link look to be very nice cases at reasonable prices.
Last edited by craigd; 08/16/17 02:21 PM.
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QUESTION: On the TuffPak, which lock would you get, or which lock do you have? There is the basic integral cylinder lock, which is TSA compliant but which can be drilled out by a TSA agent aiming to shut down your hunting trip. Then there is the thumb turn lock, which is drilled for a padlock. The down side is the padlock flops around and draws attention. If it caught on something, it could break the thumb lock wing. The up side is that if the same TSA agent cuts your lock, you can do as Toby does and whip out a new replacement lock and clamp it shut and be compliant again.
Anyone know what the thumb lock is that TuffPak uses? It does not look that sturdy.
Your advice is most welcome. Thanks!
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